From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 Message-ID: <3385.165.247.30.229.1081390854.squirrel@wish.cooper.edu> In-Reply-To: References: <7ff77f951d0798f7e9b3695ccbb25275@9netics.com> Subject: Re: [9fans] x10 From: "Joel Salomon" To: 9fans@cse.psu.edu User-Agent: SquirrelMail/1.4.2 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain;charset=iso-8859-1 Date: Wed, 7 Apr 2004 22:20:54 -0400 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Topicbox-Message-UUID: 54b75fd2-eacd-11e9-9e20-41e7f4b1d025 a@9srv.net said: > > If every human being through the ages did that, [hid knowledge] > > we'd all still be reinventing the wheel and throwing rocks. > > only in the absolute. allowing inventors to profit from their work > also encourages future invention. there's a balance to be struck. > current laws in the US involving generic drugs are one (very > imperfect) example. original, pre-Disney copyright is another. > =E3=82=A2 > OTOH, patent law *does* require that the particulars of the invention be released. You just can't *use* it w/o permission. --Joel